Ellyse Perry's record 213* thrusts Australia into pole position

Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry could finally work up an appetite for her first international hundred, and to the extent of perpetuating it into a colossal, record breaking double hundred. She tallied 213 not out - the highest Test score by an Australian woman and the third highest ever in Women's cricket - that founded an unannounced lead of 168, and a declaration, to hand Australia the aces on Day 3 of the solitary Women's Ashes Test at the North Sydney Oval.

Australia had pulled into the day with a 103-run deficit, still hungover from Rachel Haynes's departure late on Day 2. But an imperative 102-run stand between Perry (70* overnight) and Alyssa Healy sailed Australia though the first hour - and against the new ball - as the batting dyad scored 54 brisk runs without losing a wicket.

Perry nudged ahead of the three-figure mark shortly into the second hour of play, breaking past the hoodoo - four scores of nineties for her, all in One-Day Internationals - to get to her maiden hundred across formats ten years after her debut in 2007. On her way to the blockbusting double, Perry also became the fifth Australian woman to reach 150 in Test cricket.

Healy, gleefully playing the sidekick all morning, was caught on 45 just before Tea, miscuing a loft off Laura Marsh to mid off but Australia had nibbled at most of the deficit by then, trailing by only 10 runs and making light work of the tallish score of 280 that England had racked up in the first innings.

Following Healy's departure, Tahila McGrath walked in to some beginner's luck when England captain Heather Knight dropped her off the very first ball she faced in Test cricket, but the 22-year-old soon traded jitters for runs, ensuing a 103-run stand with Perry before falling prey to Georgia Elwiss on 47.

There was a point of time when Perry was in danger of being stranded few runs short of her double hundred. After Jess Jonassen's little cameo of 24, Amanda Wellington was out on 2 to Sophie Ecclestone soon after, with Perry having the company of No. 11 on 193 not out. There was drama in the lead up, as one would expect, which saw Perry celebrate the double hundred before she actually got there. On 194, Perry thought she had hit Marsh for a six over cow corner and raised her bat when it was only a boundary, as the many spectators pointed out too.

Australia declared on 448 for 9, giving themselves a good 17 overs at the English players towards the end of a depreciating day, but the openers Lauren Winfield and Tammy Beaumont - latter batting like a shot early in her innings - saw through the day unharmed, chaperoning England to 40 for 0 at Stumps.

The day, in a nutshell, was about Perry's magnum opus. About Perry's magnum opus so far. At 27, she has more of them lined up, surely.